In the News

Bloomberg Business Newsradio interviewed Stephen Flavin, vice president of academic and corporate engagement, and MassEcon board chair. Asked about Amazon’s future HQ2, Flavin said, “It’s all about creating the talent and supporting the jobs, and WPI is clearly positioned to contribute to that; we’ve been a strong partner of Amazon and Amazon robotics for many years.” (Fast forward to 50:45.)

WBUR reported on research by Marsha Rolle, associate professor of biomedical engineering, spoke to WBUR about her work to develop self-assembling human blood vessels that exhibit the symptoms of common cardiovascular conditions. The engineered blood vessels may give scientists a better way to test the effectiveness of new medications.

Andrew B. Palumbo, WPI dean of admissions and financial aid, was quoted in this article about the University of Chicago’s decision to adopt a test-optional admissions policy.The Chronicle noted that, since 2008 when WPI adopted its test optional policy, "other universities considering the same move have sought insights from WPI."

WTOP radio in Washington, D.C., aired a segment featuring Erkan Tüzel, associate professor of physics, biomedical engineering, and computer science, discussing a sperm-sorting device that could improve IVF success. The segment also appears on the National Academy of Engineering web site.

This article featured the WPI graduation story of David D’Antonio who, in 1980, was a few classes short of earning a computer science degree when he ran out of money and dropped out. “Thirty-eight years later, the Arlington resident received his long-awaited diploma as well as praise from WPI president Laurie Leshin, who noted his ‘special amount of perseverance’ in her speech honoring the 981 undergraduates at the commencement ceremony on May 12.

In this article about colleges giving less weight to SAT scores and GPAs, The Atlantic described WPI as ‘proactively coming up with different frameworks’ for its admission process. “We’re not trying to find some formula that takes 11,000 applicants and lines them up from No. 1 to No. 11,000,” said Andrew Palumbo, dean of admissions and financial aid. “We are trying to find the best fit.”

The Association of American Colleges & Universities news page featured an op-ed highlighting WPI’s project-based learning, saying of student project presentations that, “The students were engaging, dynamic, articulate, and polished, and it was clear they had all had an impact and were impacted in return. The projects were amazing examples of integrative learning to be held up and celebrated.”

WBZ-TV​ profiled research in which a team of researchers from WPI and Stanford University developed a sperm sorting device that could improve IVF Success. The device uses an “obstacle course” to sort and select faster and healthier sperm cells.

Inside Higher Ed highlighted WPI in its look at test-optional admissions policies at universities across the country, noting, “Another institution that has studied the impact of test optional is Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which attracted attention for its shift in admissions policy because WPI is an engineering and science institution.”

The French daily newspaper Le Monde published a lengthy feature on the use of Artemisia annua to treat malaria, focusing in large part on work by Pamela Weathers, associate professor of biology and biotechnology, who has been studying Artemisia for more than 25 years. (Note: the article is in French; right click on the page to translate.)

The New York Times quoted computer science professor Craig Shue about cybersecurity concerns related to Internet-enabled devices, as its Right At Home column asks, “Is My Not-So-Smart House Watching Me?”

The Telegram & Gazette profiled research by Jamal Yagoobi, department head and professor of mechanical engineering. “When you try to do something in space, the design aspect is so critical,” Yagoobi said. This new method to cool spacecraft on long missions may one day play a crucial role in NASA’s quest to send astronauts to Mars and other deep-space destinations.

The Telegram & Gazette published an opinion piece by Craig Wills, department head and professor of computer science. “I have identified the need to limit at least one of three conditions to increase privacy protection: the leakage of information, its linkage with other information sources and the lifetime of its existence,” Wills advised.